Vicissitude
by Calignosity
Summary: Nineteen peaceful years for the male, Kuroko Tetsuya, is pulled to a stop when he gains a coaching job at Teiko Junior High; meeting the infamous Generation of Miracles. Friendship (and slight, very slight, romance) fic. 19YO!Kuroko, 15YO!GOM. GoM/Kuroko. Rewritten version of Please Notice Me!
1. The Miracle in the Shadows

**A rewritten version of Please Notice Me!**

**Several things have been revised, such as the ages. Kuroko is now 19 (Seirin is still older, all the freshman being 19 and the seniors being 20) and the Generation of Miracles and all other schools are either 16, or their respective ages in relation to the MiraGen. Nijimaru, Shirogane, and Sanada will have a role in this story. Not much has been revealed about Shigehiro, so I'm not too sure about if I will add him or not.**

**Hope you guys like this new version, and hopefully it will be less of a disaster. **

Beta'd by hokkyokukou  
(If you have any time, it's _definitely_ worth it to check her profile and stories out!)

**Rating: **T  
**Genre:** Friendship, slight (very slight) Romance, Slice of Life  
**Relationship(s): **Generation of Miracles/Kuroko, Momoi/Kuroko  
**Summary: **Nineteen peaceful years for the male, Kuroko Tetsuya, is pulled to a stop when he gains a job at Teiko Junior High; meeting the infamous Generation of Miracles. Friendship (and slight romance) fic. 19YO!Kuroko, 15YO!GOM. GoM/Kuroko.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke/Basket (Note: The interaction between Haizaki and his girlfriend is taken directly from the manga, and I do not own that dialogue)**

* * *

It was a sunny day at Teiko Junior High, and most of the students were inside the pristine walls of the famed school, studying for the upcoming midterms. As the classes within droned on, in front of the principal's office sat a jittery male - though he did not let it show on his face that he was feeling as such.

Kuroko Tetsuya, 19, currently out of college with a major in the field of physical education coaching, sat on a plush chair awaiting the response to his submitted resume. He had been lucky to gain such a chance in the prestigious school, which was largely due to his connection with the highly respected mathematics teacher (and ex-senior), Hyuuga Junpei. Said senior had given Kuroko a quick pep talk in the morning, rooting him on and saying that "he'd never _not_ get hired", but even so the bluenette was quite worried.

Twiddling his fingers together, Kuroko stood up suddenly, deciding to get another drink of water, but stopped in his tracks as the door to the office swung open, nearly connecting with his head.

"Ah, where did Kuroko-san go?" the head coach, Kōzō Shirogane, asked the male who trailed behind him.

"I wouldn't know," the blond, first string coach, Sanada, sighed.

"Excuse me, I'm right here," said a third voice.

"Woah!" Shirogane turned quickly toward the voice, meeting cerulean eyes. "There you are!" Sticking out a hand, he let out a pleased smile. "I think you'll be pleased to know that you are officially the new coach, though with some slight exceptions."

Kuroko mimicked the other and shook hands briefly. "Would you mind going into detail about those... exceptions?"

"Yes, of course." Shirogane rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Instead of going with protocol and having you coach an entire string, we've decided to let you oversee a special group." An eyebrow rose on Kuroko's end, but he kept silent, letting the other man continue. "I will assume you have heard of the '_Generation of Miracles_', yes?"

"I have, but putting me in charge of your winning force seems..."

"Risky? It does seem so, does it not? That is why we have high expectations from you, Kuroko-san." The carefree atmosphere turned tense as the two coaches stared intensely at the shorter male. "But no worry, Akashi-kun will redirect you if needed."

The phantom man nodded, taking in the new information. "I assume Akashi-kun is the captain?"

"Yes! Such a fine young man, if I do say so myself. He gained the title in his freshman year, but I would expect no less from the Miracles."

Kuroko's lips pinched into a line, stopping an unneeded comment in its tracks. "When do I start, then?" he questioned after a moment.

"Hm, since today is Saturday... does Monday work for you?" Shirogane asked, his tone making it hard for even Kuroko to disagree.

"That works for me."

**xoxox**

Monday arrived quickly, leaving Kuroko on a time crunch to gather his materials and rush out the door, leaving just thirty minutes until the daily morning practice began.

Shoving only a slice of toast between his lips, the bluenette ran out, messenger bag slung around his shoulders. He made his way to the bike racks just around the corner and paused briefly as he recognized a familiar run-down car owned by his senior. The horn honked once, prompting Kuroko to walk up to the rolled-down window.

"Need a ride, brat?"

"... I'll take up on the offer this one time, Hyuuga-kun." With that said, Kuroko pried open the door, wincing as a loud crunch was let out, and slid into the worn seat. "You must have a very good personality to keep Riko-san at your side," he teased, clicking the seatbelt in place.

"Don't make me throw you out," a tick mark appeared on Hyuuga's forehead, only to be replaced with a grin as Kuroko suddenly flew forward. "Whoops, guess I pressed the accelerator too hard. Sorry."

"Let's just get there in one piece, senpai."

"Alright, alright."

Twenty minutes later, the two men arrived at Teiko. After bidding farewell, the older man disappeared into the school, several screams of 'Hyuuga-sensei!' trailing after his silhouette. Kuroko, smiling at that, made his way to the gyms.

He had to pause for a moment before entering, taking in the image of three stadium-grade gymnasiums lined up next to each other, standing tall and proud with their flawless surfaces.

Kuroko stayed like that for a long time before snapping out of his reverie. The newly appointed coach pushed open the door to the first string gym and immediately blended into the walls, his weak presence still serving him to that day. Quietly, he watched the tense situation unfold before his eyes.

"Shougo-kun! Are you done with practice?" an unnamed girl, dressed in her school uniform, chirped out as she walked up to the aforementioned Shougo.

"Oh, my bad, my bad. I just got done." The male turned around, a smirk on his face as he responded.

"Kya! Wait... you're all sweaty!" She flinched away, pouting childishly.

"I'll go take a shower right away. Wanna come with?" Shougo then grinned, reaching out to swing an arm around her shoulders.

"Geez! Don't get me sweaty too!"

The couple began walking away, playfully arguing as they did so.

Elsewhere, the onlookers began to talk among themselves, attracting Kuroko's attention.

"Eh..? Wasn't that... Kise's new girlfriend?"

Back at the couple, the girl questioned Haizaki. "Ryouta-kun? What about him?"

"He just challenged me to a match and got owned."

"For real? Wow, so lame!" She quipped, laughing.

Moments later, after the two left, the gym was silent, many unsure what to do with the kneeling blond on the ground. Several of the players decided to continue their earlier routines, seeming to care less about what happened to the newly appointed first stringer.

Even said blond couldn't do anything, shocked at the thought that he had been beaten. Only when a hand placed itself upon his shoulder did he snap his head up, meeting with peaceful eyes.

"I'm not sure of the situation, but I do know that the court isn't the best place to think things over." Kuroko, dressed in his white button up shirt and black slacks, delivered a curt smile before leading the shell-shocked blond off the court.

As soon as they stepped off of the court, Kuroko was abruptly pushed out of the way by a pink haired girl. Said girl circled around the male, inspecting for injuries and scolding him at the same time.

"Kise-kun! You shouldn't get too ambiguous! Really, what if you had been seriously hurt?" She lifted an arm, squinting while rotating it.

"I'm fine," Kise muttered, pulling his arm away from the eccentric girl.

"But..." the girl began, looking down as she stopped herself from speaking.

"Excuse me for butting in, but it isn't very nice to brush off someone who is worrying about your well-being."

"Exactly! Kise-kun, you shouldn't..." A pause. "Who said that!?" She looked around, her pink hair flipping from side to side. Eventually, her eyes landed on Kuroko who was sitting on the ground and tenderly pressing into the side of his nose, preventing it from bleeding. "Are you... the new coach?"

A surprised look graced Kuroko's face. "Yes, I am. And you are?"

"I'm so sorry for that!" She crouched down and grabbed a handkerchief from inside her jacket, pressing it with care to Kuroko's nose. "I'm Momoi Satsuki, the manager!"

"Thank you, and nice to meet you Momoi-san."

"Finally, someone with manners!" Momoi said, sending a pointed look at Kise, who had since walked away from the coach to sit on the bench situated on the sidelines, his face buried in his hands.

"Defeat is something hard to deal with at first, I don't blame him. While it's not my place to tell you what to do, I don't think you should either, Momoi-san."

Kuroko was met with widened eyes that quickly softened toward him.

"I suppose so." Her head tilted up, looking at a group of first stringers playing against one another. "If everyone thought like you, Kuroko-kun, I don't think we'd have any troubles anymore."

Before the male coach could question her further, Sanada walked in, hand full of papers; no doubt for Kuroko to look over and review. He walked up to Momoi, whispering to her another job to fulfill before glancing at Kuroko.

"Shirogane did tell you that you will be working with the Generation of Miracle, but for the first week you will be just another assistant so we can gauge your abilities. Don't get too cocky, thinking you can boss around the Generation of Miracles."

"Of course not." Kuroko stood up, stumbling as he did so. "What is my first assignment then?"

* * *

**Surprisingly hard for me to write long first chapters.**

**Would love reviews and welcome critiques as well as comparisons to PNM! and whether or not this is better so far.**

**Thank you all for reading, reviewing - if you do, and hope this will be a better-written series (I like beating myself up, it's just a bad habit)!**


	2. The Lucky Popsicle

**Writing this was a lot more fun than I realized, but also a lot more challenging to have everyone stay in character and still have the story progress at a steady rate...**

**Since in the manga it was revealed that there were two other managers but no names were disclosed (if they were, then I didn't pay attention... haha) I just created names for them. They are incredibly minor characters, and may not have a huge role in how the story plays out.**

On another note, I would like to thank all the reviewers and readers that took their time to go through the first chapter! :) This one took a longer time, not only because it was longer, but because I proof-read it several times and edited it a lot to patch up holes in the story and what not. Of course, I may have missed things, and if there is a massive plot hole somewhere, I would appreciate it lots if I was informed of it.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke/Basket!**

**Things to note: Drivers in Japan sit on the right!**

* * *

**(SAME DAY) AFTER SCHOOL**

"Ne, did you hear about the ghost?" a brunette, Akemi, questioned Momoi.

The three managers had arrived at the gym earlier than the players, each of them juggling handfuls of equipment to set all the courts up. Akemi rolled the scoreboard out, the plastic wheels on the metal frame jittering as they traveled across the court.

"G-ghost?" the pinkette responded, an incredulous look on her face as she pushed a wire cart filled to the brim with basketballs out to the court. "You're joking! There's no such thing as ghosts!"

"She's not lying, Momoi-san!" The third manager, Shiharu, suddenly popped in, hand full of towels. "The second string has been talking about it all morning! He just pops up and then disappears right before your eyes! It's freaky!"

"I heard he was a player many years beforehand, when Teiko was newly built. He began a bench warmer, and that hatred came to surface when he sensed how famous Teiko is now." Akemi shivered, locking the scoreboard's wheels into place.

Momoi remained impassive, pouting as she realized how gullible her peers were. "What does he look like then?"

"Hm," Shiharu put a finger under her chin and brushed blond locks out of her face as she set the stack of towels down on the bench. "All I really know is that he has light blue, almost cyan, hair."

"Wait, cyan!?" The Teiko manager snapped her head to attention. "That's not a ghost! It's the new coach!" She rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"New coach?" Akemi widened her eyes. "I thought all the strings had coaches already, doesn't it seem like a waste of money to get another?" Shiharu nodded, both looking to Momoi for her answer.

"Well, he's a bit of an exception." Momoi scratched her cheek sheepishly. "They appointed him exclusively to the Generation of Miracles."

"No way!" both the managers yelled out loud. As they tried to grasp the new information they had just received, a hand landed on each of their shoulders, shocking them.

"Akashi-kun?" Shiharu looked up to the captain, who had a smile on his face.

"I hear that we have a new coach?" he asked, tilting his head to the side slightly, coercing information from his victims. The managers immediately began to spew all the data they knew, blushes on their faces at the chance to speak to the young master. "Thank you for that," Akashi said moments later, when the girls had calmed down.

Excusing himself, the redhead walked up to Momoi, pausing slightly when he stood parallel to her. "Keep an eye on the new coach. He will not be an excuse to slack off."

"Of course, Akashi-kun," Momoi said with her eyes to the side, her face hidden by long locks.

**xoxox**

"Hyuuga-sensei!" a male student called the other, running up and slinging an arm around Hyuuga's shoulder. "Do you have extra lessons after school today? I don't get the material for the test! At this rate I'm in the danger zone!"

The force had accidentally shoved Hyuuga to the right, roughly pushing into Kuroko who had been standing alongside him.

"Let go of me brat!" The raven playfully shoved back. "Can't today, but I can come in early tomorrow."

A peaceful smile made its way onto Hyuuga's face as the student cheered, running off to inform others of the schedule change.

"Reminds me of our high school days, doesn't it?"

"It does. Except we never went in for tutorials, did we?" The edge of Kuroko's lip twitched up, remembering all times the club had to go into an all study mode just to barely scrape by exams.

"Kagami was the only one we really had to worry about." Hyuuga slipped off his indoor shoes as they passed the front cubicles and stepped into his outdoor shoes. "Speaking of which, how's he doing? I heard you guys were living together, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions."

"Ah," Kuroko adjusted the strap on his messenger bag. "We are. It's much cheaper that way. He's not home a lot anymore though; the Academy's times have been much harder on him lately."

"Never expected him to become a firefighter though!" Hyuuga laughed, leading them to the parking lot where his car rested. "By the way, no practice today or something?" The raven paused at the car door, hand frozen in front of the keyhole.

"Sanada-san informed me that my services were not needed today. The midterms are tomorrow, so they're having a shortened practice, which means less people are needed to supervise," Kuroko responded. "He said I could go the next day, because most of the exams would be done with."

Hyuuga nodded, able to imagine the uptight coach saying those exact words. Both he and Kuroko got into the car shortly after, each of them quiet. A rural complex passed by the window, giving them a view of old houses and of the dying winter, which was just beginning to evaporate, leading the way for spring to come. Halfway through the trip, though, Kuroko pursed his lips and turned to his senior.

"Hyuuga-kun," he started. "If you don't mind me asking, who was the previous captain?"

The aforementioned male paused, sighing as he did so. "Not that I'm questioning your ways, but why do you want to know?"

"I've... been hearing things about the Generation of Miracles. I would like to get the facts about them, and the previous captain seems like a good place to start."

"I see." Hyuuga pulled into the driveway of Kuroko's apartment, parking the car. "I guess I can get you his number, it's the very least I can do. His name is Nijimura Shuuzou. It's been said that he left due to his relative contracting some life-threatening condition that he had to take care of, so you may not want to tread into those waters."

Kuroko nodded, storing the information for future use.

"I'll meet you in the gym tomorrow morning and pass it to you, okay? But listen," Hyuuga turned to face Kuroko, meeting his eyes with a serious gaze. "Those kids you're coaching—they aren't average people. Almost at Kagami's level, if not greater. I don't know if they have a secret they're hiding, but I'd advise you to not get too far into their business."

"I'll make sure not to, Hyuuga-kun." Kuroko bowed at the other, expressing his thanks, then climbed out of the car, waving goodbye. He rummaged through his pockets while walking up the concrete stairs in front of the complex, only grabbing hold of the small piece of metal when he arrived at a worn burgundy door. "I'm home," Kuroko said loudly, sighing as he realized the small apartment was devoid of life.

He set his things on the table and flipped several switches, squinting as the lights flickered on. Making his way to the kitchen that was composed of a refrigerator, several counters that were littered with appliances, and a double cabinet, Kuroko pulled out a frozen lunch from the freezer and set it in the microwave that sat at the opposite side of the sink.

Minutes later, the microwave dinged. Kuroko pulled out the box, wincing as his fingers met with the hot surface. Collapsing into the two-seater couch in front of the T.V., Kuroko dug into his dinner with a melancholy look, memories of past conversations assaulting his thoughts.

**xoxox**

_"Kagami-kun, at this rate, we'll be in the red moneywise."_

_Kuroko sat at a wooden table, a calculator and a large pile of papers in front of him. He glanced at the bills and then the open check books, squinting a little at the numbers teasing him._

_"What do you think we should do then...?" Kagami questioned, a distraught look on his face as he stood next to Kuroko, as he peered over the other's shoulder at the same numbers._

_"It'll only be a year until you finish your Academy courses, and we have money left in the bank, so don't worry. We can afford to pay the fees…" Kuroko let out a reassuring expression. "As for me, I should finally put my degree to use. I'll be asking Hyuuga-kun in a couple days if he can pull some strings for me." The bluenette turned around and stood up. "We'll make it through this, Kagami-kun. It'll be_ fine_."_

_"Yeah, I know. We're just in a sticky situation currently."_

**xoxox**

**THE NEXT DAY (TUESDAY)**

Kuroko mumbled, turning his head from side to side in annoyance as his alarm clock rang, the shrill pitch cutting into his eardrums. He raised a hand and let gravity take over as it fell, slamming the button on top of the rectangular object. Taking the other hand, Kuroko ran it through his disheveled hair, yawning.

The bluenette flipped his blanket upwards, swinging his legs over the side of his bed and standing up to stretch. Quickly, he glanced at the time.

'S_ix o'clock, I've still got thirty minutes,_' Kuroko thought to himself as he made his way to the bathroom and quickly fixed himself up. Twenty minutes later, the newly appointed coach donned a white polo with vertical navy stripes over the left breast and beige slacks. As he walked down the stairs to the bike racks, Kuroko widened his eyes slightly as a familiar car was, once more, parked in front of the lot, waiting.

Kuroko walked up, knocking on the window to grab the other's attention. "Hello, Hyuuga-kun."

Hyuuga jumped in surprise, looking to his left and slumping his shoulders when he realized who was there. Rolling down the window, the male held out a piece of paper. "Sorry, I have some things to do so I didn't have enough time to deliver it to the gym. Thought another ride wouldn't hurt anyways." Hyuuga grinned as the other grabbed the paper, interest clear on his face.

"Thank you, Hyuuga-kun," Kuroko responded, pocketing the piece of paper as he made his way into the car.

"No problem, kid."

When, in ten minutes, they arrived at the front doors of Teiko, the situation exactly the same as the day before. They bid their farewells and Kuroko padded over to the gym, only pausing to pull out the scrap piece of paper once more and to give a glance at the numbers printed in neat script. He went through the gymnasium doors; several heads turned in surprise. Only one pair of heterochromatic eyes betrayed no such surprise.

"W-who was that?" Kise blanched, dropping the basketball that he was twirling.

"A ghost, obviously!" a tall purple haired teen cheerfully quipped, stuffing his mouth with several brands of sweets, seemingly not caring about the paranormal activity. "Doors don't open themselves!"

"Murasakibara, that is completely irrational. There is no such thing as ghosts," a glasses-wearing male criticized. In his hands was carved wooden duck only slightly bigger than his palm. "Honestly, I shouldn't even be here. Cancers are advised to steer clear of any sports for the day."

"You're too scared to skip, Midorima-cchi!" Kise teased, moving his head just in time to dodge the basketball that flew toward his head. "Yikes!"

As the group argued amongst themselves, Akashi, having noticed Kuroko from the beginning, strode up to the coach and ignored the calls of 'Aka-chin' that followed his figure. The captain stuck out his hand, narrowing his eyes at the almost transparent figure standing in front of him. "I am Akashi Seijuurou. I've been informed that you are our coach from today on?"

Kuroko paused, not used to the direct treatment, and met Akashi's hand. "Yes, my name is Kuroko Tetsuya, nice to meet you. I won't be coaching you immediately, Sanada-san has told me that I still need to learn how things work in Teiko."

Akashi paused, his eyes boring into the other intensely, still grasping the other's hand. Roughly, the redhead pulled the other's hand toward himself, hauling Kuroko just centimeters away from his face.

"I won't repeat myself, but this team has thrived spectacularly even without your help. If you get in the way of victory, I will not hesitate to have you fired. Do not think it is an impossible task for me. Good dogs should just keep their nose out of other's business, hm?"

Cerulean eyes widened before returning to their normal stoic state. "I wouldn't dream of it, Akashi-kun. After all, I'm here to assist everyone."

Nodding in content, Akashi let go of his grip on the other and turned around, his jersey swishing as he did so. Making his way back to the group of Miracles, minus one, Akashi was immediately confronted by Midorima.

"Akashi! Who was that?" The taller male bereted the other, obviously upset by his lack of information. His green eyes struggled to focus on the ever-disappearing figure, but he had no doubt that this new person had more importance than suggested by his aura.

But Akashi only answered, "No one special."

**xoxox**

**AFTER SCHOOL**

"Momoi-san?" Kuroko, having just finished his routine of setting and putting up the equipment for that day, questioned the girl with surprise. Said girl had approached the coach after afternoon practice, a reluctant look on her face. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Kuroko-san!" She looked to the side, "I just... have to tell you something. I can't tell you everything, some things you have to learn yourself, but I can tell you some of it at least." Momoi pulled Kuroko until they both sat side by side in the bleachers. All the other inhabitants of the gym had long left, leaving the two alone. "Where do I start?" the girl questioned to herself, twiddling her fingers.

"Anywhere you feel comfortable, Momoi-san."

Momoi let out a weak smile, "Thank you. Do you know the individual Generation of Miracles?" A nod. "Aomine Daiki, he's my childhood friend. You could say that he wasn't really amazing up to this point. Good, but he would still have challenges with every game." She paused, taking a deep breath. "But one day, he just... got incredible at basketball. It was obvious that he would go on to be a national icon at that rate. After that, many of the others followed him, and they all 'bloomed'. The better they got, the more they began to see the game as a waste of time. I... don't know why I'm telling this to you, Kuroko-san, but I feel that you could be the one to help them. Make them love basketball again. I've seen many videos of Seirin in their youth, and the amount of passion is amazing." Momoi rubbed a finger across the bottom of her eye. "I'm not forcing you to do anything though; after all, Teiko's motto revolves around absolute victory. I wouldn't be surprised if you thought the same. At the very least though, I want to see them—_Aomine_— having fun again."

"You care about them a lot, don't you?"

"Of course; they're the ones that got me into the game after all."

"I'm glad to see someone else that isn't satisfied with their play." Kuroko contemplated, looking toward the court. "Granted, I haven't seen them playing in the flesh, but those kind of feelings you can just feel through a screen. I don't want to give you a false promise, but I'll try my best."

Momoi smiled. "Thank you."

Kuroko then flipped his wrist, looking at his watch. "It's getting a little late. Do you mind if I walk you home? I'd feel bad if one of my students got into trouble."

"Eh?" Momoi widened her eyes, the tips of her ears turning a light pink. "It's fine! I always walk home at this time!"

He frowned. "Really, I insist. At least a couple of blocks, just so I can make sure you're safe."

"But..." She began to speak, but quickly submitted to her fate after seeing the determined look in the other's eyes. The other gave off a peaceful aura that was hard to say 'no' to. "Just this once, okay?"

Kuroko nodded in agreement, waiting on the bleachers as Momoi ran into the locker room and grabbed her bags. The two of them made rounds around the gyms and locked up before leaving the campus grounds. Night was just creeping in, leaving the sky clothed in a purple-red hue. Around them, the streetlights flickered on and illuminated the lifeless walkways. Both of them stayed on the sidewalk, remaining quiet except for the occasional small talk they shared.

Soon, they passed by a convenience store, one that had brought back memories for the girl. Images of fun gatherings flashed before her eyes, causing Momoi to close her eyes and bump into a solid object moments later. She bounced back slightly, catching her balance just in time to see Kuroko walking into the store, shouting back at Momoi to '_wait there a moment_.'

Tilting her head to the side, she curiously stood outside the bright fluorescent doors, her head looking from left to right every so often to survey her surroundings. Minutes later, Kuroko ran out, a small clear plastic baggy clutched in his hand. When he got closer, he held it up, letting out an amused look.

"A treat once in awhile isn't so bad, right?" Kuroko questioned, already pulling the bag open. Momoi nodded dumbly, frozen in her position as she contemplated the mental status of the newly appointed coach. In that time, the male had managed to pull the double popsicle out, split the icy treat in half and present one to Momoi.

"Thank you!" she responded, taking the treat carefully. Digging in, she let out a delighted noise. It had been a long time since she indulged in the dessert, and she planned on enjoying it to its fullest. She continued to gnaw on the popsicle as they walked toward her house, not aware of the faces she was making until a stifled chuckle sounded from beside her.

"What?" she questioned, her cheeks growing red.

Kuroko uncovered his mouth, letting out a full-blown grin. "Your expressions are very amusing, Momoi-san."

_Bang!_

Momoi turned away from Kuroko, a hand covering her nose, as an imaginary arrow shot through her heart. Her face blew up in color as she tried to calm down herself down.

'_T-too cute!_'

Unfortunately for the pinkette, Kuroko took the sudden movement as a sign of hurt and quickly kneeled down to eye-level, his face scrunched in worry. "Momoi-san? Are you alright?"

He placed a hand on her shoulder, surprising said girl and causing her to flinch.

"I'm fine!" The red hue, although still slightly present, had mostly dissipated from Momoi's face. She stood up quickly, clutching her bag with both arms.

"I'm just a couple blocks away from my house now, you don't have to walk me there!" was the last thing she said to the other before she ran away, leaving her popsicle abandoned on the floor and a confused bluenette standing alone.

**xoxox**

Kuroko arrived back at his apartment shortly after, still wracking his mind for the reason for the manager's sudden outburst. He had been so into his thoughts that when he stepped into the homely abode, Kuroko had yet to notice that other male whirring away in the kitchen, black apron draped over his clothes. Only when he ran into him did he notice the redhead.

"Kuroko... is this another one of your jokes?" Kagami's left eye twitched, looking down at the male who had yet to comprehend what he had done. Seconds after, Kuroko's eyes trailed up, meeting fiery red.

"Ah, Kagami-kun, welcome back," the bluenette greeted, stepping back slightly. "Did you do alright on your exams?"

The redhead's eyes lit up, a look of joy on his face. "Even better than that." He paused for effect. "One of the mentors there recommended me to a nearby station. I visited it the other day, and they said I had amazing credentials." Kagami smiled. "They pay by the hour, so I think this might just keep us afloat."

Kuroko responded with his own tired smile, "Just don't overwork yourself."

"I know!" Kagami responded, turning back to the kitchen to flip off the stove and plate the dishes he had made. "How's the whole coaching thing going?"

"It's alright, I suppose." Kuroko rummaged through one of the drawers, pulling out several pieces of silverware and setting them on the small table situated just outside the kitchen. "The Generation of Miracles certainly are secretive, but I intend to uproot some of those secrets. I'll be setting up a meeting with their old captain."

Kagami sweatdropped, pausing to say words of grace before digging into his food. "Just don't get into too much trouble okay?"

"I'm not you, Kagami-kun, I'll be fine," Kuroko joked, digging into his plate as well, ignoring the other's outraged cries. "I'm just simply a curious outsider."

"Just worried it'll be a bad path to walk down," the redhead said through bites of fried rice. "Not that I'm going to stop you." Kagami grinned. "I'm rather curious as well. Everyone talks about them nowadays, it's crazy. Where was _our_ magazine article!?"

Kagami chuckled. Kuroko only let out a low humming noise, poking at the remainder of his dinner as the gears in his head began to turn.

**xoxox**

_To: Nijimura Shuuzou  
From: Kuroko Tetsuya_

_Subject: Teiko Junior High_

_Message: Hello Nijimura-san, I hope this isn't cutting into your schedule,  
but I would like to request a meeting to talk. Specifically, about the  
Generation of Miracles. I am currently the new coach that has been appointed  
to look over said group, and, needless to say, I'm not very satisfied with their attitudes  
toward the game._

_I've sent you a map of the possible meet-up site, but you are free to suggest  
another place as well.  
[Sent on Tuesday, XXth; 8:15 P.M.]_

_**xoxox**_

_To: Kuroko Tetsuya  
From: Nijimura Shuuzou_

_Subject: Re: Teiko Junior High_

_Message: Ah, no problem. It's all fine. How about tomorrow after school hours?_

_A warning, though: you might not like what you hear.  
[Sent on Tuesday, XXth; 9:25 P.M.]_

* * *

**I would've made emails for Kuroko and Nijimura to go by, but I kind of fell short of what to make their email addresses and decided against it. I understand that in**_** this day and age**_**, people **_**may**_** not be so kind and have an ulterior motive for walking a middle school girl home, but let's just say this was in a time where people weren't as... bad. That and, would Kuroko really do anything...!?**

**By the way, is the format of going day by day alright? I feel at one point it may get repetitive and confusing, so that's what I worry about. With this format though, it's a lot easier for me to write the events as they go on.**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I'm certainly more proud of it thus far. Reviews are amazing, even if they are just a simple sentence!**


	3. He, Who is a Shadow

Unsurprisingly, this chapter is slightly shorter, and only shows the events of one day :(

Don't really know what to put in this A/N, so will just show my gratitude for all the people who provided me with information and pointed out my mistakes in the previous chapter! My reactions to all the lovely comments could probably be turned into a comedy show...

That being said, I now have a lovely Beta by the name of **hokkyokukou** who is writing this amazing angsty story that makes me sob like a baby (in a good way, though). If you guys have any time to check her out, I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

Enjoy this update, and watch out for some slight OoC Akashi.

* * *

**WEDNESDAY (BEFORE AFTERNOON PRACTICE)**

"Aomine-kun!" Momoi stormed onto the rooftop, head spinning from side to side as she tried to pinpoint her target. "Aomine-kun!" she yelled again, going toward the small concrete closet just a few steps away and climbing the ladder on the backside. As soon as she spotted a familiar mop of dark blue, her eyes raged in fury. "Really! I've told you again and again to not skip practice! Even Shirogane-san has been worried about you!"

"Hah?" The male turned on his side, his body perpendicular to the girl still perched on the ladder. "Practice is boring, Satsuki." Aomine stuck a finger into his ear and yawned, an annoyed look on his face.

The girl pouted, pulling herself up the ladder and depositing herself next to the other's head. "But we have a new coach!" Momoi's face turned a shade of red as she continued. "He's so nice and modest, unlike _someone_." Aomine flinched as an angry glance was sent his way. "Tetsu-kun has a style of basketball I've never seen before; it's amazing!"

"'Tetsu-kun?' You sure you ain't dreaming him up?" The teen grinned, "I mean, I still remember when you kept going on about finding your prince in freshman year. Whatever happened with that?"

_Slap!_

"Shut up!" Momoi frowned, suddenly standing up and making her way down the metal rungs of the ladder. "Don't skip this time, okay?" She relaxed her expression, sending a longing look at her childhood friend.

Seeing her face, Aomine turned away. "I'll think about it."

The pinkette sighed, accepting the halfhearted answer before she turned and walked back into the school, heading to the gyms.

**xoxox**

**AFTERNOON PRACTICE**

The Generation of Miracles – excluding Aomine – found themselves sitting tensely, scattered, in the third-string gym. Regardless of where they sat, all of their eyes were focused on a single object.

In front of them, on a metal rolling tray, lay a television. Under it sat a DVD player that groaned with effort as it proceeded to play the inserted CD. On the glaring screen, several figures ran around a basketball court, all of them wearing the now famous Seirin jerseys. From the sidelines, the benchwarmers shouted with joyful expressions, and a tall redhead forcefully shot the ball into the opponent's hoop, cheering as he did so.

What the Miracles were paying attention to, though, was not the nearly glowing ace. The eyes of the prodigies were following, though with slight difficulty, an almost invisible bluenette. Said player bounced around the court, blending in with his scenery and redirecting the ball as necessary.

The teens that watched did so with wide eyes, each of them quickly forming their own opinion of the unique player and play style. As the game rolled to an end and the team on the screen jumped onto one another, the gym door slid open as a small male made his way through, glancing in with curious eyes.

Unlike his earlier years, Kuroko was noticed quickly.

"Hello, Tetsu-kun!" Momoi shouted, unaware that she used the personal nickname, and quickly stopped herself mid-run toward the other. "I mean, hello, Kuroko-san." She put a hand over her flushed face.

"Hello, Momoi-san," Kuroko greeted back, ignoring the other's slip of tongue. He then looked up and met eyes with each of the other players, bowing slightly. "Hello, everyone."

None of them answered, each of them going about their own business. This act made Momoi pout and put her hands on her hips. "You guys shouldn't be so rude, y'know!"

The captain was quick to respond, leaving the pinkette to pout to herself. "You are much more interesting than I believed, Tetsuya. Surely you wouldn't mind gracing us with a one versus one game right now?" Akashi asked, slight sarcasm lacing his voice as he "praised" the coach.

"I do not mind, Akashi-kun." The red head raised an eyebrow. "Under a certain condition after all." When no one spoke up, Kuroko continued. "_Everyone_ is required to attend practice for one, no, two weeks."

"Oh?" Akashi smirked, putting a finger up to his lips in a thoughtful expression. "Deal."

"Akashi!" A green haired male stood up quickly, his expression disapproving. Even if the shooting guard was displeased, he quickly sat down again after being delivered a glaring look, much rathering to take the sudden change to his schedule over the end of his life.

"Well then." The captain turned to the court and walked toward it, turning around to beckon Kuroko after him. "Shall we start?"

**xoxox**

"N-no way..." A blond sat on the bleachers, his eyes widened in utter surprise. The bottle of water he casually held in the beginning forgotten on the floor.

"This is..." The same green haired male stood on the sidelines just below the blond, his glasses dropped lower than he would tolerate in normal circumstances.

The last Miracle sat on the bench, his expression indifferent, but it was clear from the temporary pause in his snacking that he, too, was shell-shocked.

"Tetsuya..." Akashi, standing parallel to the coach on the court had visibly widened eyes, the basketball that they previously played with bouncing next to them with lessening strength. "You are exceptionally... weak."

All eyes rested on the kneeling bluenette, his hands framing his face as he lay, nearly face down, on the court, panting and sweating. "I never said I was particularly strong, Akashi-kun."

"But!" Kise immediately piped up from the bleachers. "But we saw the tape! In the games, even if your shooting was kind of shoddy, it was different, unique, amazing!"

"Tape?" Kuroko sat on his haunches, eyeing the other with a questioning look. "You mean one of my high school games? Well of course I'd be better back then, Riko-san made us do training every day for several hours." He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, standing up. "It would be surprising if I managed to beat one of the Generation of Miracles after such a long break."

"Do not ridicule us Tetsuya. Going easy on me will do nothing for anyone."

"That wasn't my purpose, Akashi-kun. I do not thrive in the same conditions you all do. I am a shadow, and I play to make others shine brighter."

"Isn't that boring?" The purple haired giant spoke up, legitimately curious.

"I suppose in some eyes, yes, it is. But for me, a phantom, I can't even think of living in the light. That is why, by using my shadow, I make everyone else's light grow." Kuroko exhaled at the end of his miniature speech, glancing at his watch. "Oh, we spent more time on that game than I thought we would. Practice ends in ten minutes." He turned to Akashi. "I apologize, I'll be sure to set up a training menu for tomorrow."

"No... that is fine," Akashi reassured the other, the gears in his head turning as he absorbed the information he was presented. The redhead, now genuinely curious about the other, questioned him. "I assume your light - as you call it - in high school was Kagami Taiga?"

Kuroko nodded. "Yes, he was."

"How interesting!" Akashi chuckled out loud, shocking the other residents in the gym. "You end up surprising me even more day by day. What will you present to me next, I wonder?" Without waiting for Kuroko's response, the redhead made his way into the locker rooms to change and head home. The others, slowly getting over the almost sinister face Akashi had revealed, followed him, each of them glancing at Kuroko before disappearing into the depths of the gym, leaving Momoi and the coach to stand in silence.

"I will take a guess and say that wasn't a normal reaction for Akashi-kun?" Kuroko turned to face the pinkette.

"No, it wasn't..." She trailed off, a hand half covering her face. "But with you suddenly here, I don't know what I can call normal."

**xoxox**

Within the next ten minutes, the teens had fully changed and headed out, each of them going to a uniquely different destination without a glance at the others. During the same time, Kuroko had helped Momoi clean up the gym, putting all the equipment back into the storeroom and locking up. They walked up to the front gates together, the girl having already convinced the older male that, no, she did not need to be escorted home once again. As they stood on the sidewalk that lined the metal gate, farewells were bid to each other, and Momoi turned to walk home, a slight pout on her face that yet another day was going to pass without seeing 'her Tetsu-kun'.

To her surprise, a voice called out to her seconds later, prompting her to swivel around in excitement and curiosity.

"Momoi-san!" Kuroko called, now more than a couple meters away from her. "I forgot to tell you this earlier, but I don't mind being called Tetsu-kun. You don't have to worry about changing something you're used to doing." His face gave off an aura of innocence and pure concern for the other.

"T-Tetsu-kun..." She began, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry!" Momoi apologized before running off into the distance, muffled screams following her.

Kuroko stood there, intrigued and worried at the same time. He began to continue his trek home, but was stopped in his tracks as loud thuds rang in the air, following by gurgles of pain and heavy cursing. The bluenette looking around, his face scrunched in panic as he tried to pinpoint the source of the noise. After several seconds of doing this, he ran back toward the school gates and followed the sounds that eventually lead him to a secluded area behind the school building shrouded heavily in shrubbery.

Without a second thought, Kuroko ran into the scene and blocked the victim from the attackers. Face to face with a group of delinquents, the coach didn't back down in the slightest. He stood there and took the hits that assaulted him one after another, until the group leader that stood in the back, watching, grew uninterested.

They trailed away, one even spitting on the ground just centimeters away from Kuroko's foot, and Kuroko collapsed just parallel to the other body. Even in his condition, Kuroko looked over, his eyes widening in surprise as he made sure of the other's well-being.

"Are you alright..." Kuroko strained his mind for a name to latch onto the face. "Kise-kun?"

Dull eyes snapped open and eyelids twitched with weakness as the blond tried to speak through the blood pumping out of his lip.

"Augh, Kuroko-sensei?" Kise pulled a hand up to his forehead to wipe off a stream of blood, holding it away from his face slightly to watch the liquid drip away. "What happened to you?"

Said male sighed, pulling out a white handkerchief and sitting up, pressing it gingerly to the blonde's head wound. "I don't think you're in a position to worry about me right now, but if you must know, I chased away your attackers," Kuroko said, a serious look on his face.

"Your appearance says otherwise, sensei," the blonde responded, grinning weakly. His cheerful disposition quickly disappeared though, when a sharp pang shot through his arm. He glanced down at it, and noticed the arm of his sweater soaked in crimson liquid. "Shit."

Kuroko followed Kise's line of sight, looking down at the arm. "We should probably get you to a hospital."

At the word 'hospital', the blond tried to sit up, protesting. "No!" He calmed down shortly afterward, when Kuroko shot him a disapproving look. Covering his eyes with the unwounded arm, he elaborated. "I don't like hospitals, that's all. I'll be fine with the infirmary, really."

The coach hesitated, a disbelieving look on his face. They spent minutes like this, staring at each other and arguing. Eventually, Kise had let out a horrible enough of a sound that Kuroko propped him up and began the long struggle to the infirmary.

When they got there, nearly the whole school was dark. Many of the teachers had left - including Hyuuga - and the only way they got into the school was through the guard who was conveniently stationed by the front. Luckily, the guard had a lot more practice in carrying heavy weights, and, after taking the load off of Kuroko's shoulders, the trip took considerably less than it would have.

Arriving at the infirmary, the guard excused himself, leaving a number in case something drastic came up. Kise, at this point, was unconscious, several expressions running over his face at once. While the blonde went on in his dreams, Kuroko meticulously undressed him, wincing at the sight of blood, and treated the wounds.

The coach took this time to inspect the other's body. If he hadn't run into the small forward, Kuroko would never have known about the multiple bruises and wounds that looked suspiciously dealt by knives.

Placing a hand on Kise's bandaged torso and another in his hair, Kuroko fell into unconsciousness as the day's events finally caught up with him, the meeting slipping his mind completely.

**xoxox**

**(AT THE SAME TIME) MAJI BURGER**

A noirette sat in the corner of the burger joint, fiddling with the keys of his phone. Once again, he sighed to himself and tried to sink into the plastic seats. Nijimura tugged at his gray uniform, looking fairly out of place even though it was rush hour for middle schoolers.

The ex-captain had rehearsed the story he was going to tell the new coach beforehand, being careful not to reveal too much that would get neither parties involved into trouble, but even with the practice, his leg bounced up and down, restless.

"Waitin' for someone?" a male walked up to Nijimura, shoving himself into the seat directly across from him.

"Go away, Haizaki," Nijimura growled, his body stiff. He ignored the other as he shoved a burger into his mouth and chewed loudly, keeping it all down with a large gulp of soda.

"Damn, captain." Haizaki smirked. "Unfortunately you don't have any power over me anymore."

"Won't stop me from beating you up if you get on my nerves."

Ignoring the threat, Haizaki continued talking. "I heard there was a new coach at Teiko, y'know. Kind of reminds me of _him. _The resemblance is uncanny, really. Would be an absolute shame if anything happened to him."

"You!" Nijimura shot up, grabbing the other's cyan collar. "What did you do?" He brought the other's face just inches from his own, hissing.

"Nothing." The blonde smirked. "Yet." Haizaki pushed himself away, brushing off his shirt. He grabbed his trash, crinkling it up into a wad and aiming for the wire trashcan just meters away. He turned back to Nijimura. "He's not going to come, he's too busy sleeping with pretty boy."

"Sleeping with... pretty boy?" Nijimura repeated, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Wait!" The ex-captain called after the disappearing figure as he made his way out of the restaurant and into the night. "What the hell."

* * *

Oh my god, Haizaki, you. Even if he's generally hated a lot, I really can't find myself doing the same...

In truth, I intended for this to go into Thursday as well, but then I read chapters 218 and (a translation of) 219, and I had to rethink a lot of things.

**(SLIGHTLY) IMPORTANT QUESTION: **Normally, it's hard for me to find people to talk about Kuroko no Basuke in real life, or just anime in general. Because of that, I want to set up this (possibly weekly or bi-weekly) chat room in which anyone can come and we just talk about whatever tickles your fancy. Because I'm not a very good conversationalist, I feel this could be a good way to find people of similar interests and connect more with my readers/other authors.

Currently, the only chat system I know of and know how to use is Skype, but I realize that some people may be unfamiliar with how it works and the account sign up, so I'm all for suggestions on another chat system. The only thing I request is there be some kind of room leader privilege that I can access in case there are some troubles that arise.

As for times, I roughly calculated (based off of my story stats) where the majority of my reader base is. Roughly one half of you guys are in the United States/Canada and the others are in Asia (or surrounding areas). This would mean that the people in the U.S. would have to attend at about 7 or 8 A.M and the people in Asia would have to attend at about 8 or 9 P.M.

Now for the question aspect, would you guys like to do this? It may be off to a rocky start, but I hope it could grow to something that's looked forward to. Based off the response I get to this, I'll be posting more information in the next update! :)


	4. Two Sides of the Same Coin

Thanks to everyone for their reviews, favorites, follows, etc.!

**Beta'd by: **_hokkyokukou_**  
Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basket

Will also say that there are **spoilers** for Chapter 218 of the manga, and that any knowledge you retain from canon should be thrown out the window because I have properly conked up the canon storyline.

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

**EDIT: To those who may have saw the chapter and then suddenly seen it removed, I apologize. I added some details to this version that were crucial.**

******As for the chat room idea, I plan to carry it out 07/13 on a site called Chatzy provided by AliceXShunMEGAFan17! The link will be posted on my profile on that Saturday, and is open to anyone! There are two meeting times I've set up where the official chat time will begin, but I will be on regardless of the time. The first will be at 8 A.M. CST and the second will be at 2 P.M. CST  
**

* * *

_"Ryouta!" the blonde's mother, a high held woman with shoulder length curls, called out to the six year old in a scolding tone. She walked up to him, her heels clicking, and pulled his hands from the sand they were buried in. "You can't do that! Models have to take care of their body after all!" She pushed at his back, urging him to walk toward the house. "Now, now, let's go get Haru-san to clean you up."_

_Kise walked, his eyes glassy as he tried to comprehend what he did wrong. 'All the other kids do it,' he thought to himself. 'Why can't I?'_

_They arrived at the glass doors then, Kise plodding in with a saddened expression. Almost immediately after, Haru, their maid, ran out and looked over the boy. "Oh my, Ryouta-sama, you're all dirty!" She kneeled down, her brunette locks a contrast from his mother's. "Would you like a bath or a shower?"_

_The blonde shook his head from side to side, refusing either option._

_Ryouta's mother sighed, side-stepping the child to walk out of the room, all the while muttering under her breath and ignoring Haru's protests. The maid frowned at the disappearing figure, but turned back to Kise with a wide smile._

_"Well, now that your mother is gone, let's have some fun, shall we?" Kise looked up, surprise painting his features. "Before that, we have to wash your hands!" The blonde fervently tried to break away, but the brunette had a tight grip. "Ryouta-sama, please listen." He paused. "You know, outside the house, there are many germs! They can be so tiny, you can't see them! But did you know, if you wash your hands after every time you play, they go away and won't hurt you! Or else, you might get sick and throw up!"_

_Kise's surprise turned into terror as he ran into the kitchen and up to the sink, staring at the counter that was just a few inches too high._

_Haru followed after, smiling at the sight, and grabbed a small wooden stool to place at his feet. "Go ahead," she urged the other. Following the maid's instructions, he washed his hands, drying them off on a nearby towel before following Haru into his room. "Unfortunately, the mistress will be angry if you go outside to play, so why don't we play in here?" She opened the closet, looking around for anything resembling a toy the six year old would like, frowning when she found none._

_"I don't have any toys to play with," Kise said from his position on the large bed._

_"Hm," Haru thought, sitting next to the blonde. "We don't need toys to have fun. I'll be right back!" She quickly ran out of the room, only to come back moments later with a thick hardcover book. "Have you heard of 'The Little Mermaid'?"_

_Kise shook his head and frowned. "It sounds like a story for girls."_

_"Well, you'll be the judge of that, won't you?" Sighing at his reaction, Haru continued. "The gist of it is, a girl finds that she doesn't like her life anyone, and is continually fascinated with another's life. Sometimes, that isn't always the best, though."_

_She opened the book and began to read._

* * *

**THURSDAY MORNING**

Warmth.

Kise curled his hands into his bed sheets, unconsciously nuzzling into the heat source. Snippets of his dream rose, remnants of a long-destroyed memory suddenly surfacing. He wondered why the sad memory would come up and, while deep in thought, the body next to his moved, groaning in protest.

Wait, body?

Kise opened his eyes to see tussled cyan hair belonging to the sleeping coach beside him. Before he went berserk, he calmed himself and thought back to the events of the previous day—yet another bully beating him up—a certain coach saving him despite having no fighting ability whatsoever.

The blonde frowned, contemplating the best way to remove himself from the bed without waking the other but could only curse silently as the body next to his rustled around with its cerulean eyes peeking open sleepily.

"Kise-kun?" Kuroko's soft voice rang in the empty infirmary, calling for the other.

"Ah, Kuroko-sensei," Kise replied, his signature smile appearing on his face. "This is kind of a scandalous position isn't it?"

Kuroko, noticing where his hands were placed, jerked upward, removing himself from the blonde. He sat up on the bed, his hair ruffled beyond repair, and glanced at the clock on the wall. "Six... in the morning?"

"Man, this is annoying." Kise scratched his head sheepishly, sitting up as well. "I'm gonna have to come up with excuses for all my classes." He looked over at Kuroko. "I guess this is as good a chance as I'll ever get." Leaning in, golden eyes narrowed. "Why did you even accept a job teaching the Generation of Miracles? Are you from a neighboring school, or did you really not know who we were?"

Kuroko looked on impassively, thinking of a response. "Truthfully, I did not know I was going to be teaching the Generation of Miracles. I only learned after I acquired the position. I believed it to be a learning experience, to teach at a prestigious school."

"It's just kind of suspicious, how you so quickly got Momoi-cchi to warm up to you."

"I cannot say the details, but I will say that it involves Aomine-kun."

Kise raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so curious about him? Is this because he 'bloomed'? I'm not too convinced that you two bonded over Aomine." The blond awaited a response, but got nothing as the infirmary door slid open, a tall woman dressed in an official white coat walking in.

"Eh? Someone's already here?" She questioned, her eyes trailing from both males, inspecting their disheveled attire.

"I apologize," Kuroko spoke up. "Kise-kun had some injuries that occurred after school hours. Both of us fell asleep afterwards, though." The bluenette picked up his bag, walking to the door as the nurse nodded dumbly at the information. "Please make sure Kise-kun gets to practice safely," he said and bowed. Then he walked out into the halls of the school, disappearing from sight.

The nurse followed his figure down the hall with her eyes, raising an eyebrow when he vanished. Turning to Kise, she put both hands on her hips. "I don't suppose you're leaving as well?"

"Of course," Kise glanced at the keycard that hung from her breast pocket, "Shiro-san!" he said while walking out, delivering a blinding smile before treading down the same hall the other had previously. '_This whole situation is definitely suspicious! Especially that part about Aomine-cchi, way too suspicious!_'

* * *

_"Did you like that story, Ryouta-sama?" Haru closed the book, reading the other's visage for any signs of joy._

_"It was... weird." Kise furrowed his eyebrows. "I mean, no one can steal someone's voice, and mermaids don't exist in the first place!"_

_Haru giggled, putting an arm around the child. "True, but the book has a deeper meaning to it. Ariel wanted so bad to be on land, that she was willing to throw away her roots just to be with a human she barely even met." She met Kise's eyes with an amused glint. "And even if this is only my interpretation, I believe it's saying that you should never be someone you don't want to be or do something you do not want to, if you have to throw away everything else for it. The pay off may seem satisfactory at first, but over time, you will realize the truth."_

* * *

**MORNING PRACTICE - THIRD STRING GYM**

"Yo! Aomine-cchi!" The model waved to the other, who responded with a lazy wag of his arm. "Rare to see you here, what's the occasion?"

"Satsuki wouldn't stop bitching to me." Aomine stretched from his position on the bench, rubbing the back of his head groggily. "Didn't she say something about a new coach or whatever? I don't see him anywhere, is he skippi-"

"Nice to finally meet you, Aomine-kun," a third voice said, causing both males to look around frantically for the source. Simultaneously, their eyes landed on the figure known as Kuroko Tetsuya. "I am the new coach, Kuroko Tetsuya."

"Holy shit!" Aomine turned a couple shades paler and backed up, panting. "Where did you come from!?"

Kuroko's eye twitched, but he answered nonetheless. "I was here from the beginning. In fact, I was here even before Kise-kun came."

The power forward regained his composure and yawned, stretching his arms up. "Well, whatever." He turned to face the other player. "Yo, Kise, let's play a one on one game." Aomine walked toward the court, not waiting for a response, and grabbed a lone basketball that was already placed beforehand. "Might as well make this practice remotely interesting.

Kuroko began to reach out, wanting to keep the group together, but a tight grip on his outreached wrist stopped him. "You do not have to bother with them, Tetsuya." The bluenette looked to his left, meeting mismatched eyes. "This is good training for Ryouta anyways. We," Akashi gestured to himself, Murasakibara, and Midorima, "Will be following a specialized training menu Satsuki has created for us. It would be good for you to stay in here and observe the game, as well as keep them in line."

Kuroko pulled his hand away, nodding with a sullen expression at the two players that had already begun to dance around each other. The group of three, plus Momoi, made their way out of the gym with the necessary equipment, the girl turning back to momentarily meet eyes with the coach before walking away.

The bluenette trailed his eyes to the running figures from his seat on the bench, taking in their expressions during and noting signature moves that would come up more than once. The sounds of squeaking shoes and the basketball filled his hearing, allowing him to slowly relax and close his eyes, sighing deeply. '_If Akashi-kun and Momoi-san are capable of running the show, why was I hired?_' Kuroko thought, scrunching his eyebrows as if he was suddenly presented with an expert level puzzle.

"Oh crap!" Aomine cried, causing cerulean eyes to slowly move upward, seeing an orange sphere quickly making its way toward Kuroko.

Like a robot awakening, Kuroko flung his left arm back, curling his fingers until they were flat against his palm, and connected his hand with the ball, sending it flying at top speed back to the teens. Almost immediately after, Kuroko inspected his hand, now a light shade of red from the pressure. '_It really has been too long._' He thought to himself, wiping his hand on his pants briefly before standing up and walking to Aomine.

"Are you alright?" Kuroko asked the other, unsure if his accuracy still remained after the years of inexperience.

"... How did you do that!?" Kise suddenly cried, having picked up the basketball that flew past the both of them and inspecting it all over.

"That was crazy!" Aomine looked at Kuroko, an excited glint in his eyes as he looked at the coach. "Now I see why Satsuki was going nuts over you."

"Thank... you?" The coach said, unsure of how to take the phrase. "It is simply something I coordinated myself to do."

"Hella amazing," Aomine concluded, taking the basketball from Kise to spin it on his index finger. "Should join us sometime."

"That wouldn't be fair, Aomine-cchi!" The small forward pouted, trying to grab the basketball back to no avail, keeping to himself the facts about Kuroko's play style.

"I agree, I'll have to decline this time."

"Ah, that's fine I guess." The power forward crouched away from the blonde, resuming the game again with a heavy dunk that ended the round in Aomine's favor.

"One more time! One more time!" Kise cried, running after the other when he deposited himself in the bleachers and pulled out a magazine of questionable content.

"Nah, I'm already bored." Aomine flipped through the thin pages, sticking his pinky into his ear as he tried to block out the other.

Kise looked down at his feet with an expression that Kuroko had seen on Momoi's face many times before. He stood there for a few minutes, then turned, grabbed his bags, and stormed out of the gym.

Kuroko looked between the blonde and the tanned teen before he ran out of the gym after Kise, worried about what he would do. Kuroko, with slight difficulty, caught up with Kise, grabbing and spinning him around to look up at his darkened gold eyes.

"Kise-kun, it's not good to leave practice. Even if you don't have anyone to practice with, you can do stretches and-"

Kise pulled his arm back, glaring. "Shut up!" He covered his mouth, as if surprised at the swear, before removing his hand and continuing. "Shut. Up. You've only arrived here a couple days ago, don't think you can so easily boss around everyone."

"I don't believe that," Kuroko deadpanned, staring straight into Kise's eyes. "I just don't believe that someone who joined the basketball club and became such a prestigious figure can brush off practice so easily as you all do."

"Practice doesn't do anything for us anymore, it's only cementing the fact that we will always attain victory." Kise shook his head, laughing bitterly. "Truthfully, we'd be fine without your help. You know why I believe the coaches hired you? So they could have an excuse to remove us from the rest." Kuroko remained silent, his lips pulled into a tight line. "We'd have so many conflicts with all the other players that it was getting in the way of their practice."

"What did they say that warranted a conflict?" Kuroko asked softly, his eyes showing slight concern.

Kise paused, surprised at the question. "If you want to know, you can ask them. They can also tell you how I'm only a shadow to Aomine-cchi's talent." His chest heaved and fingers tightened in his shorts.

"I don't believe that." Kuroko stated. "While my opinion alone may not change your mind, Kise-kun, I think your playing style is amazing. It's certainly much better than anything I could achieve, and I hope that their opinions will not stop you from doing what you love."

"Who said I loved it?" Kise growled. He turned, back facing Kuroko, and trudged away with drooping shoulders. But he was stopped, thin arms wrapping themselves around his torso, surprising him.

"W-what?" Kise glanced back, seeing a mop of teal.

"This may seem quite selfish of me, but I do not want you to quit. I know what it's like, hating something to the point that it seems you'll never like it again." Kuroko looked up with melancholy eyes. "But I truly believe your basketball is brilliant."

Kise stopped the urge to chuckle, "Y'know Kuroko-sensei, this is the second time we've been in a scandalous position. Do you have something to tell me about that?" He grinned cheekishly.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Kise-kun. I do not feel for you in that way." Kuroko removed himself, going as far as brushing off his hands off in a teasing manner.

"Mean!" Kise snickered, pouting. His eyes flickered and his smile faltered. "I can't say I'm totally convinced, but I'll keep those words in mind, Kuroko-cchi."

A questioning expression appeared on Kuroko's face. "What did you just call me?"

"Ah! It's something I add to the end of names of people I respect!" Kise smiled, bright and innocent once more.

"Please stop," Kuroko stoically said, turning back toward the gym. "Shall we go now? Akashi and the others should have finished their training already."

"Eh!?" Kise bit his bottom lip. He quietly followed the other like a puppy would to his master.

* * *

_The blond settled into his large bed, struggling to find a comfortable situation. He froze as the door to his room creaked open, the soft plodding of footsteps indicating a person of lesser weight._

_Thin fingers rubbed at his forehead, running through his blond hair in a comforting manner._

_"Ryouta-sama, I know the chances of you hearing this will be little to none, but I want you to know, you're an amazing, strong, and passionate young master." She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "Exactly fine the way you are. Carry yourself tall, Ryouta-sama." Haru began to walk out, pausing at the door before closing it completely, encasing Kise in the darkness once more._

_Tears brimmed at his eyes, and the urge to run after the maid was growing by the second. But he denied it. He wiped his eyes and sent a sharp look into the darkness and settled into his bed._

* * *

Kuroko pushed open the metal doors, peeking in while he held them open. His eyes flashed as they met a familiar figure. "Akashi-kun."

"Tetsuya," Akashi acknowledged, looking from Kise to the sleeping figure on the bleachers. "This is a surprising turn of events."

"Ah, I apologize. I had to... tend to something and was unable to look after Aomine-kun." Kuroko responded, hoping his excuse would suffice. He stood still as calculating eyes looked him over before flickering to Kise. The blonde flinched in response.

"Akashi-cchi, it isn't his fault Aomine-cchi fell asleep." Kise's eyes followed the shifting he saw in the corner of his eye. "Really."

"You and Daiki, doubled training this afternoon." He turned to Kuroko. "Tetsuya, you will be responsible for picking up needed materials for the club. Do not worry about payment, that will be included with the list."

Kuroko could only nod as he watched Kise cry in protest, fake tears streaming down his face while he begged for forgiveness.

* * *

**THURSDAY - AFTER MORNING PRACTICE**

The coach, after receiving a long list of supplies that would surely take him the majority of the afternoon to acquire and a hefty bag of money, decided to stop by his apartment beforehand, the thought of feeding a certain Siberian Husky taking all priority. While the walk wasn't explicitly long, it still caused Kuroko to sweat, causing him to cringe and mentally add a shower to his list of activities.

He climbed the stone steps, walking up to his door and sticking in the key, only to nearly hit a fluffy object with said door.

"Nigou," he said in a reprimanding voice. "You know it's bad to sit in front of the door." Kuroko bent down and rubbed the back of the dog's ears, receiving a welcoming bark in return.

Kuroko smiled as he shut the door behind him and placed his bag down, all the while scolding the dog in a motherly tone. Until recently, the dog had been taken in by one of his close friends, Furihata Kouki, but due to a recent job the brunette had acquired at a local cafe, his hours just weren't enough to care for the sweet dog they had met in their high school years. When Furihata had approached Kuroko with the offer of taking the dog in, Kuroko was ecstatic.

He had immediately contacted Kagami to inform him, only to get a shocked message in return. It took a long time for the redhead to agree, and only under the terms that the dog would stay in Kuroko's room whenever he was home. Many times, both would momentarily forget the dog was even in the house with them, only alerted when a series of whines and barks would ring through the household.

Kuroko chuckled to himself when he remembered Kagami's general reaction to the dog, and nearly knocked over the bowl of treats. He snapped to attention then, filling up the double sided bowl with water and food before setting it down and watching Nigou stuff his nose into both pockets, his tail wagging furiously.

With a last pat on the head, Kuroko stood and headed to the joint bathroom he and Kagami shared. He glanced in the mirror at his hair—still accustomed to sticking up every which way—before grabbing a change and clothes and stepping into the shower. He spent a good while in the stall, relishing the warm stream of water. The events of the morning ran through his head, distracting him until the water that once ran warm turned into a jet of freezing liquid. The bluenette turned the handle on the shower, shutting the stream, and stepped out to towel off.

He shuffled out of the bathroom moments later, dressed in a simple t-shirt and khakis, finding Nigou resting on the couch, pawing at the cushions. Sporting a smile, Kuroko gingerly lifted the animal, blocking him off in his own room. Grabbing the list he had left on his desk, the coach headed out of his apartment, prepared for a long day of walking, his humming blocking out the vibrations of his mobile.

* * *

_From: Nijimura Shuuzou  
__To: Kuroko Tetsuya_

_Subject: Meeting?_

_Message: I'm unsure of what happened yesterday, but I was informed_  
_that you had been delayed by someone somehow or another._

_While I'd normally brush this off, the subject of the Generation of Miracles_  
_is something that can not be brushed off as easily. _

_I don't mind trying to meet up after school today once more, if you're_  
_up for it._

* * *

**(AT THE SAME TIME) TEIKO MIDDLE SCHOOL - HEAD COACH'S OFFICE**

"I believe all our worries will cease to exist now," Sanada, standing in front of the mahogany desk, spoke to Shirogane. "With the new coach and the new allocations we have set, it's more than certain that - at this rate - we will have another successful championship with little to no troubles."

Shirogane nodded, a grim look on his face. "Really now..., I can see why you would think that." The head coach sighed. "But I'm actually quite worried. They're too strong. Aomine has been more than troubled by his own strength, and it seems Momoi-san can't continue to encourage him. To keep them together, before they break even more, we need to pay extra attention to them."

Sanada hummed in an agreeing tone. "Yes, I agree, but as long as we have you, it'll probably..." A loud thump stopped him from speaking. His eyes widened as he glanced at the spinning chair, then trailed down to see a limp body laying on the ground, panting. "Coach...? Coach Shirogane!" Sanada ran to him, immediately placing two fingers on his neck, feeling for a pulse while simultaneously pulling out his mobile phone and dialing quickly. "Please, hang on! Help will be here shortly, just... stay with us."

* * *

_Up until now, while they were still interlocked, they still believed they could fix things, even if one gear had cracked. On the very afternoon that the school had reopened its doors after summer break, Nijimura and the third years retired._

_No tears were shed, and they bid the gymnasium farewell with no regrets._

_But without the weights on the other side keeping them grounded, any semblance of balance was thrown out the door, closing the Generation of Miracles upon their perch, awaiting a challenger that would never arrive._

* * *

**The last segment of this was taken - though a bit modified here - from the manga. **

**Also, have any of you seen the PV for the second season of the anime, oh my god. Himuro and Murasakibara, and Aomine in Zone, my heart just couldn't take it anymore.**

**********As for the chat room idea, I plan to carry it out 07/13 on a site called Chatzy provided by AliceXShunMEGAFan17! The link will be posted on my profile, and is open to anyone! There are two meeting times I've set up where the official chat time will begin, but I will be on regardless of the time. The first will be at 8 A.M. CST and the second will be at 2 P.M. CST.**


	5. Thrice Left Behind

**Wow, it's been a long time since I've last updated! Unfortunately the next one will also take a while to get up since I'll be out for a training class. **

Because this story is getting close to 50 reviews and my love for writing small shorts is gradually getting bigger, I'll take a one-shot request from the fiftieth reviewer!

**Not much to say at this point besides that I appreciate all the support (reviews, favorite, follows) that I've received in this story so far, and I hope this chapter is up to par with everyone's expectations.**

Beta'd by hokkyokukou  
(Who is an amazing writer and beta!)

**I do not own Kuroko no Basuke/Basket!**

* * *

_From: Kuroko Tetsuya_  
_To: Nijimura Shuuzou_

_Subject: Re: Meeting?_

_Message: I thoroughly apologize for standing you up, it wasn't  
my intention at all. Like you said, I was suddenly caught up in some last minute  
business and became unable to attend._

_After school today would be excellent._

* * *

**THURSDAY—AFTERNOON PRACTICE**

Kuroko groaned and placed both his hands flat on his lower back, tightening his muscles until a pop was heard. He tiredly eyed the multiple plastic bags that lay at his feet and pocketed his mobile.

As he had estimated, the errands had taken him a good chunk of the day and had ended up directing him straight back to school just in time for afternoon practice to begin. The coach walked into the gym and looked around at the empty scenery, depositing the bags at the entrance to the storage room.

"I suppose I was early," Kuroko said to no one in particular. He rummaged in his pockets for his mobile, and his eyes trailed up as the gym doors opened to reveal the redheaded captain. "Akashi-kun," Kuroko greeted softly, his voice failing to project loudly over the large room.

Akashi's eyebrows twitched, the only sign that he was caught off guard. He looked up, meeting the coach's eyes. "Tetsuya, you're rather early today."

"I finished the errands early and decided to come here right after." Kuroko glanced at the screen in front of his face. "I didn't realize I was so early though."

"That's fine, I've no qualms with anyone who is punctual," the captain hummed, setting his school bag down on one of the various benches. "Though it is amusing how fast you've gotten Ryou-"

A shrill voice interrupted Akashi, and he swallowed down the boiling irritation that surfaced from being cut off. The owner of the voice, Momoi, had a terrified expression on her face. Trailing behind her was Midorima, Kise, and Murasakibara, each with their own version of a troubled expression. "Akashi-kun, Tetsu-kun, it's terrible... Head Coach Shirogane..."

Tears pooled in her eyes and she panted heavily, trying to catch her breath.

Akashi and Kuroko walked up to the girl, concern on their faces. "Momoi-san, please calm down," the coach said in a tender tone, placing a hand on Momoi's back and patting it in a comforting manner. "What happened to Coach Shirogane?"

"He's currently hospitalized..." A pained look made its way on her face, "the doctors don't know what's wrong, but they deduce that he won't live long. His days are numbered."

As the girl sobbed softly to herself, Kuroko met with Akashi's eyes, the message clear to both of them. "Satsuki," the captain spoke up, "is Coach Sanada still in the first string gym?"

Momoi nodded, "He'll be taking over the position of Head Coach while Coach Shirogane is in the hospital."

"I see. We will carry out practice as normal," Akashi paused, daring anyone to oppose, "and we will all go visit Coach Shirogane afterward, mandatory for everyone. Is that clear?" He was answered with several mumbles that caused him to sigh. Turning to Kuroko, Akashi passed him a thin stack of papers. "We will be going about the same routine as yesterday. You will be training Ryouta today, as Daiki is not here."

Kuroko took the papers, skimming over them and noticing how the handwriting deteriorated toward the end, as if the author was exceptionally tired at that point. "Thank you, Akashi-kun," the coach replied, bowing.

"You are fidgeting Tetsuya. Is there something you want to tell me?" Akashi questioned.

"Well, I had a prior meeting set up afterward. I've already stood him up once, twice would be downright rude." Kuroko met cold eyes. "Not that I'm saying I won't visit the coach, I'll be sure to visit him right after."

The redhead stayed still. "Disobeying me so soon, are you?"

"I am simply putting my priorities in place, Akashi-kun."

A chuckle. "Fine then, go ahead. Do whatever you wish, as long as we bring home the gold it doesn't matter what you do." The group of four trailed out to the fields again, leaving the blonde and the bluenette to stand and awkwardly glance at each other.

"I don't know whether he likes you or hates you," Kise deadpanned, an incredulous look on his face. A half smirk appeared on his face. "So, what are we doing today, Kuroko-cchi?"

"Please don't call me that," Kuroko responded. He ignored the cries of protest to glance at the paper he received and read it off with an impassive expression. "Forty laps around the gym, twenty suicide drills," he mumbled as he read down the list, "a rather hefty amount of shooting drills and dribbling practice. There also seems to be some one on one drills too."

"What!?" More faux tears. "Akashi-cchi is trying to kill me, isn't he?"

"I wouldn't put it past him to do so," the coach said, bending down to pick up the heavy bag of supplies with great difficulty. He struggled until larger hands covered his, making Kuroko relinquish his hold on the plastic material.

"Do these have to go in the closet?" Kise looked at the double doors in front of him, gesturing for the other to open them.

Grabbing a ring of keys he had received in the morning, Kuroko unlocked the doors and held it open, receiving a happy chirp in return.

"I would've been fine, even without Kise-kun's help." He let out a miniscule pout that was overlooked by the blonde, who cried in disbelief.

"You could barely stand up Kuroko-cchi! Besides," Kise teasingly grabbed at Kuroko's biceps, "I still find it hard to believe you could even lift the bags all the way here!"

"What are you talking about?" Kuroko flexed the same arm, "Look at these guns."

"You don't have _any_!"

A quick laugh later, the coach finally straightened out and hustled Kise into his training clothes to work on the menu. Kuroko watched as the blonde huffed and ran, a smile making its way to his face as more memories fluttered their way into his mind.

'_As they say, one step at a time,'_ the coach thought, handing Kise a dry towel and a bottle of cold water, pleased when he saw an excited glint show within golden eyes.

**xoxox**

"See you tomorrow, Kuroko-cchi!" Kise waved at the other from the school gates, a huge smile on his face. Kuroko sighed, much like a parent would to a child, and tiredly waved back. He watched as the teen ran back toward the school, most likely to meet up with the other Miracles.

The events of the past day were still fresh in his mind, and Kuroko had been reluctant to let the blonde travel by himself throughout the school. Some way or another, a devilish pairing of his voice and the sweet smile had convinced Kuroko otherwise.

As he dwelled on whether his lenient behavior was acceptable, Kuroko's phone shook in its place in his pocket, signaling a message.

* * *

_From: Kagami Taiga_

_To: Kuroko Tetsuya_

_Subject: Work_

_Message: Will be late tonight, long day. Leftovers  
in the fridge. You okay?_

* * *

_From: Kuroko Tetsuya_

_To: Kagami Taiga_

_Subject: Re: Work_

_Message: I'm fine, will explain at a later date._  
_Don't overwork yourself._

* * *

Kuroko's mood dropped after reading the message he had received. While he did understand the duties that Kagami's new position placed upon the redhead, it was still a challenge to go back to an empty apartment at the end of the day.

Despite that, he pushed the negative memories from his mind and began to focus on a new topic while on his walk to Maji's: the Generation of Miracles and, specifically, their old captain. It was no mystery that the group – and possibly a few exclusive others – was shrouded in secrecy. From the way the Miracles looked at one another, to how people on the outside perceived them, it was easy to overlook the uncertainty that lived in each of their eyes and instead focus on the narcissistic nature they prided themselves on.

But here it was, a golden opportunity right in front of Kuroko, someone who had been a stranger to the prodigies just days before. He walked out of the school district and into the bustling city streets. Watching as children of all ages that were just released prowl around the streets brought a sense of peace to Kuroko's overheating mind, and as he took the last steps to the burger joint, he admitted to himself that this was a point where he would be stepping over the line of normalcy and into the world of the Miracles.

Kuroko opened the glass door and relished the cool blast of wind. Looking around for a face to match the image – one he had received after looking through several yearbooks of the past years – he caught sight of the familiar hairstyle of the male, who was sipping on a soft drink in the corner.

The coach approached the ex-captain and sat across from him, mentally sighing when gray eyes failed to focus on the living being across from him.

"Jeez," Nijimura groaned. "Just where is this guy? I'm not going to be stood up two days in a row, am I?" the raven complained to himself, taking another large slurp of his drink.

"Hello, Nijimura-kun," a barely audible voice spoke out loud to him, causing said male to look around in confusion. When his eyes finally focused on the coach that sat opposite of him, a hefty amount of his mouth's contents promptly escaped the orifice.

Wiping the mess from his chin and table, Nijimura looked over Kuroko with incredulous eyes. "I guess you're Kuroko Tetsuya, the new coach?" After receiving a nod, the raven sat back. "Well, I can't say this is what I was expecting, Mr. Phantom Player."

"You're aware of who I am?" Kuroko expressed genuine surprise.

"You don't know what kind of impression you left on basketball do you?" The ex-captain took another big gulp, scowling when the liquids within were drained. "I'd say it was easily the year when basketball became the most celebrated sport, all for the player that changed the way most saw basketball."

The coach contemplated this. "I don't know what else to say except that I'm flattered."

A lazy hand waved at him, dismissing the gratitude. "If anyone knew who you were, I'm sure they'd have a similar reaction after getting their pants scared off." Nijimura narrowed his eyes. "But enough of this. You came here to talk business didn't you?"

"Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way Nijimura-kun."

"Get comfortable then, it's by no means a short story," The raven flagged down a waitress and placed an order, glancing at Kuroko who placed his own. "I guess I'll start with the first year. When they first came in they weren't anything special to me, just a bunch of brats with crazy hair colors. Try-outs usually work with them going through stations and showing off their skill sets, and when they tried out it was like angels had descended into the gym."

Kuroko chuckled. "That good, hm?"

Nijimura continued on. "At this point all of them pretty much still liked basketball, that much was obvious in their play. It wasn't much surprise to the starters when all of them were placed in first string immediately. Their first year went by without much trouble, they all came to practice and even stayed back a couple of times." He paused when a different waitress stopped by and placed down a tray of food along with a Styrofoam cup on the table. Raising an eyebrow at the single milkshake the other had ordered, Nijimura started up once more. "Second year came and several of the starters graduated, which left the coaches with no choice but to promote Aomine, Akashi, Midorima, and Murasakibara."

"And Kise-kun?" Kuroko questioned, indulging in the milkshake he held.

The raven paused as he remembered a certain player's words from before, but gathered his composure as he answered, "He didn't join until mid-way through the year, something about seeing Aomine as a great challenge."

Kuroko nodded and gestured for the other to continue.

"That guy, Kise, was no less of a Miracle. Shot up to first string like a rocket, surprised a lot of folks. At the same time, they just started to grow at an alarming rate. You probably know Aomine as the first to 'bloom', and one after another their skills and personalities began to warp." Nijimura dug into his packet of fries despite his loss of appetite. "Aomine began to skip practice, spewing some crap like '_The only one who can beat me, is me_' and the coaches were pressured by the principal to allow it. At some point I think Akashi lost a couple of screws in the head from being challenged too, though I've only heard rumors that revolve around his father"

"How saddening," the coach sighed.

"Hm?"

"It's saddening to see how people push the ones considered as geniuses. It's like their age doesn't even play a role in how they're perceived and the only thought that keeps them going is victory." Kuroko stared down at his fingers that were tightly gripped around the white cup.

"Unfortunately that's pretty much how Teiko works. Can't say I didn't think that at one point, but I'm much happier at the place where I am now than I ever was. Anyways." Nijimura stretched and groaned. "I can't tell you much about this year besides the gossip that's been going around, but rumor had it that some sort of pact was made. Granted this came from a freshman that was eavesdropping and has probably traveled through many people, so I wouldn't take my word for it."

"Nijimura-kun," Kuroko started, the other blinking in surprise, "this may not be a question you know the answer to, but I feel like I should ask it anyway."

"Go right ahead."

"Why," he paused, "why do you think I would be hired? Teiko has enough hands and probably dozens to spare, it doesn't make sense to hire someone like me who is new to the scene and inexperi-"

"Passion," Nijimura interjected. "People who've done extensive research on you most likely found out your lack of physical skills, but regardless of that you played a key role in Seirin's victory and even managed to gain yourself a name." He met the other's gaze with soft eyes. "Many would've thrown in the towel after finding out they possessed a weak presence – intimidation is a key factor in the game, after all – but you came around and turned that into something no one ever saw before." The ex-captain stood up, throwing his trash in the plastic bins provided and turned to face Kuroko. "That's just my speculation anyways."

Kuroko nodded in acceptance. "Thank you for telling me all this."

"No problem, good luck then." Nijimura waved as he walked out of Maji, leaving Kuroko to sip at his nearly empty drink.

'_Good luck indeed,_' Kuroko thought as he leaned back in his seat, twirling the styrofoam cup in his hand. '_This information definitely saved me a lot of time, but I still don't know how to motivate the Miracles._' He sighed as he stood up and deposited his trash, checking the time and sending a quick message to Kagami before boarding a bus on the corner of the block headed toward the local hospital.

* * *

**TOKYO METROPOLITAN HOSPITAL**

"I apologize, but visiting hours are already over," the young nurse said, a troubled expression on her face.

Kuroko sighed and planted his forehead on the cold surface of the front desk, "Sorry for bothering you." He began to turn around and walk out, pausing as thin fingers gripped at his sleeve.

"Please wait!" the young nurse yelled, her face growing red as she whispered, "I could probably allow you a couple of minutes with Shirogane-san." At Kuroko's confused look, she explained, "I heard that his symptoms were incredibly serious, and he may not have much time left in this world. I would hate it if you couldn't see him again just because of some rules." She placed an index finger over her lips. "It'll be our little secret!"

The coach let out a small smile, imitating the other and placing a finger over his own lips, "Of course."

They shared a series of chuckles and giggles before the nurse released her hold on his sleeve and carefully directed him around the hospital and eventually to a solid white door, the nameplate to its right side reading 'Shirogane Kozo' in block letters.

"I'll be standing by the door," the nurse told him. "The doctor comes by every hour to patrol, so you only have a couple of minutes."

"That's more than enough, thank you." Kuroko said, leaving her in the hall to proceed into the chilled room shrouded in the smell of chemicals.

The head coach was hooked up to several monitors, each of them releasing a series of noises that repeated on loop. The older male's chest rose and fell steadily as he slept, the peaceful look on his face occasionally replaced with a pained expression.

Kuroko looked to the white table next to the large hospital bed, noticing a glass vase filled to the brim with white hyacinths and light pink azaleas. Below the vase sat several cards, each with differing designs on the outside but inside, all contained words of admiration, thanks, and well wishes.

A warm feeling filled Kuroko's being, and he turned to leave the older male in peace only to be stopped by a broad chest.

"Sir, visiting hours are over!" The young nurse from before looked at the tall male – dressed in a Teiko uniform – with a mix of fear and anger.

"Hah?" He looked at the woman with a look of annoyance. "Shut up," he told her, brushing a hand through his nearly white locks. "I'm not here for head coach, I'm here for him." The male forcefully pushed a finger into Kuroko's chest, a pleased look on his face as the bluenette flinched slightly in response.

The nurse looked between the two men, a look of regret on her face.

"And who would you be?" Kuroko asked calmly, telling himself to breathe and approach the threat with reasonable actions.

"Haizaki Shougo." Said male leaned in, a grin on his face. "Better remember it, because I'm the key to your problems, shorty."

Kuroko scrunched his eyebrows together, stepping back as his personal bubble was penetrated, "I don't believe I have a big enough problem to employ someone of your stature." His tone got darker as he ended his sentence, the jab at his height obviously getting to him.

A snort. "You say that now." Haizaki looked around and grabbed a small notepad several steps away, scribbling on it and passing the slip to Kuroko. "Feel free to run to me when your precious Generation of Miracles finally break." Haizaki leaned in to whisper by the bluenette's ear, his hot breath fanning over the paler figure's neck. "It'll happen sooner or later, everyone knows it."

With that, the bleached blonde leaned back and – with a quick attempted grope at the nurse – walked out of the room, leaving more questions than answers.

**xoxox**

Kuroko walked along the sidewalk in the night, silently thinking. By then most residents had already settled into their homes for dinner, and the number of cars on the road trickled to the rare few. Around him, streetlights flickered on and illuminated his path.

He thought back to the events in the hospital and frowned.

The nurse had been more shocked than he was and panicked over the possibility of losing her job. Quickly calming her down and easily dodging the doctor on patrol, Kuroko thanked the nurse once more before making his way onto the streets.

Kuroko sighed as he traveled, his body's needs catching up as his stomach rumbled loudly. With a gulp, he attempted to stave off the hunger but as he passed a familiar basketball court, the sounds drew him in and before he knew it, Kuroko was standing by the wire door, hunger forgotten, and watching a tall male swish in ball after ball from beyond the third point line.

He watched with awe as the figure threw another ball into the hoop without a sound.

The player on the court turned around and yelled out to Kuroko, surprising the coach.

"How long are you going to stand there?"

Stepping out, the bluenette had a greater vantage point and could now see that the player was indeed one of his students. "Midorima-kun," he greeted.

Midorima pushed up his glasses. "Kuroko-sensei, isn't it late for you to be wandering around at this time of day?"

Chuckling at the other's words, Kuroko answered, "Shouldn't I be saying that to you?" He walked past Midorima and picked up the basketball that had dropped, spinning it on his finger. "Didn't you just come from the hospital?"

A hand flew out, knocking the ball out of thin fingers and reclaiming it for himself, "I believe that is none of your business, Kuroko-sensei."

"It's my business to make sure my students get home safely."

"You have better things to worry about, such as how you will convince the board to keep you within our ranks when Coach Shirogane passes," Midorima stated.

"Do I appear to be that helpless?"

"Your skill as a player is commendable, even Aomine can agree to that. But at Teiko you are simply just another newbie having yet to prove himself."

"Should I take it that you do not see – or care – for how the situation within the club looks currently?" Kuroko questioned. "I may not have Momoi-san's analytical skills or Shirogane-san's leadership skills, but that only means I will work harder in other areas to make up for that."

Midorima connected with determined eyes. "It isn't my problem to begin with. Simply put, they had a chance to turn around and they took no heed to it. The evidence is the most obvious in Akashi."

The coach tensed. "You don't care about the welfare of your teammates?"

Midorima exhaled a burst of air. "I have no idea how you got to that conclusion, but even if help were to slap them in the face they'd still be hopeless." The shooting guard turned away and walked out, the basketball hooked under his arm.

"If you care about them, why don't you do anything?" Kuroko's words stopped him in his tracks.

"Don't you think I have tried?" His tone gave off a calm aura, but from his clenched teeth and the fingers that dug into his palms, Kuroko could tell he was anything but.

After a pause, Midorima continued on his way, leaving Kuroko – for the third time that day – to watch yet another teen's back slowly fade into the background.

* * *

**If any of you are saying to yourself that it was a rather slow chapter, I apologize! I've recently thought the same and will revise the chapters to instead show one to two key events a day - meaning more content and faster development! :)**

**Another thing, I will definitely try hand and foot to respond to reviews from this point on (I was turned off for a while just because it felt as if I was just repeating the same key words over and over), because I do enjoy talking to all my reviewers, but due to a bad mood recently I was afraid that it would rub off on my responses. **

**Anyhow, thank you all of reading! Reviews are amazing, suggestions and other fixes are welcome as well! **


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